1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-panel display device and a method of driving the same that can represent a single image using multiple flat panel display devices, and more particularly, to a multi-panel display device and a method of driving the same that can simplify a driving circuit for driving multiple flat panel display devices, thereby decreasing the fabrication cost.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In today's information-oriented society, a flat panel display device acts as a medium for delivering visual information. And, with the growing importance of such media, various types of flat panel display devices are being developed. Recently, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, field emission display (FED) devices, plasma display panel (PDP) devices, and light emitting display (LED) devices have been noted as the most prominent types of flat panel display devices. Among the many display devices, the liquid crystal display device have been extending its scope of application with its characteristics of excellent resolution, color display, and picture quality, thin and light-weight structure, and low power consumption. The liquid crystal display device broadly consists of a liquid crystal display panel having liquid crystal cells aligned in a matrix formation so as to display images, a back light unit for emitting light rays onto the liquid crystal panel, and a driving circuit unit for driving the liquid crystal panel. Such liquid crystal display device may adjust light transmissivity of the liquid crystal cells based upon a video signal, thereby displaying the image.
Recently, the liquid crystal display device and many other flat panel display devices have been configured in multiple panel structure, so as to be used as a multi-panel display device for representing a single image. However, the related art multi-panel display device, which represents a single image by using a plurality of flat panel display devices, has been found to be disadvantageous in that the device requires a conversion board, such as a scaler, corresponding to each of the flat panel display devices configured therein. More specifically, each conversion board respective of each flat panel display device is provided with video data respectively inputted through a video data distributor, then converts the provided video data to fit (or be in correspondence with) the position, size, and driving frequency of each display device, thereby providing the converted video data to each display device. In other words, each conversion board receives video data from the video data distributor, detects the video data that matches (or is in correspondence with) the position of each conversion board, then converts the corresponding video data to fit the size of each conversion board, thereby providing the converted video data to each display device.
As described above, since the related art multi-panel display device requires an image distributor for distributing video data to each display device used therein, and also a conversion board, such as a scaler, the structure of the driving circuit and the method of driving the display device eventually become complicated. Particularly, since a scaler or a conversion board includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, a frequency converter, a decoding circuit, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter, a high capacity memory unit, and a scale conversion circuit, problems such as an increase in fabrication cost and a decrease in production efficiency may occur.